1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates generally to electronic devices, such as multifunction devices, having a display for displaying data, such as image data or text data.
2. Description of Related Art
Single-function electronic devices for image recording, such as inkjet printers, copier machines, and facsimile machines, and multi-function electronic devices which perform a plurality of different functions, such as printing, copying, scanning, or facsimile functions, or any combination thereof, are known in the art. Referring to FIG. 20, one known electronic device includes a display 137 which has a display surface 137A for displaying a variety of data, such as image data and text data, and a control G which includes a plurality of control keys 139 which allow a user to input instructions along the surface of an electronic device housing 151.
Referring to FIGS. 21(a)-21(c), in another known electronic device, such as the electronic device described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-124074, a display 237 may comprise a display surface 237A, and the display surface 237A may be mounted opposite the control G which includes a plurality of control keys 239 which allowing the user to input instructions on a device housing 251. The display 237 may be configured to rotate between a lowered position in which the display 237 covers the control G, and a raised position in which the control G is exposed.
In this known electronic device, the area needed to mount the display 237 and the control G on the housing 251 is a mounting area A2, which is about equal to the area of the surface on which the display surface 237A of the display 237 is mounted. The mounting area A2 is also is about equal to a projected area S4 on which the display 237 is mounted when the display 237 is lowered, i.e., the display 237 and the control G may be mounted within the range of the projected area S4.
Referring to FIGS. 22(a) and 22(b), in yet another known electronic device, such as the electronic device described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-533821, the control G includes a plurality of control keys 339, and the control G is mounted on the surface of a device housing 351, and a display 337 may slide relative to the surface of the device housing 351. Moreover, the display 337 includes a display surface 337A mounted on the device housing 351 facing out from the device housing 351, such that display surface 337A does not face the control G. Consequently, the display 337 slides between a first position in which the control G is covered, and a second position in which the control G is exposed.
In this known electronic device, the control G is covered by the display 337 when the display 337 is in the first position, and a mounting area A3 is the area needed to mount the display 337 and the control G on the surface of the housing 351. The mounting area A3 is about equal to the area of the surface on which the display surface 337A of the display 337 is mounted. The mounting area A3 also is about equal to a projected area S7 on which the display 337 is mounted when the display 337 is lowered, i.e., the display 337 and the control G may be mounted within the range of the projected area S7.
In the known electronic devices which include displays 237 and 337, respectively, the displays 237 and 337 are mounted three-dimensionally, such that each display 237 and 337 may cover the control G. Consequently, the displays 237 and 337 and the control G may be mounted using less space than the known electronic device display 137 and the control G are mounted in a plane on the surface of the housing 151 of the electronic device.
Nevertheless, in the known electronic device which includes display 237, when the display 237 is lowered, the display 237 is folded over the device housing 251 with the display surface 237A facing the control G, which makes it difficult for the user to view the control G and the display surface 237A from the viewpoint 202A and viewpoint 202B.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 21(c), when a recording medium feed 300 is positioned behind the display 237 with the display 237 raised, the recording medium feed 300 is covered by the display 237, which prevents the user from using the recording medium feed 300, i.e., a projected area S6 extends beyond the range of the mounting area A2 and overlaps with the mounting range for the recording medium feed 300. In this case, when the user attempts to load the recording medium feed 300 with a recording medium, the user may not be able to view the recording medium feed 300, such that user first must move the display 237 to the position shown in either FIG. 21(a) or FIG. 21(b) in order to view the recording medium feed 300. The user then has to return the display 237 to the position shown in FIG. 21(c) after the user loads the recording medium feed 300.
In the known electronic devices which use display 337, the user may view the display surface 337A regardless of whether the display 337 is in the first position or in the second position, and the control G is exposed even when the display 337 is in the second position, such that the user readily may use the control G. Nevertheless, when the display 337 is in the second position, a projecting area S8 substantially overlaps into the range of the mounting area A3, such that the space occupied by the display 337 is not only the mounting area A3, and the projected area S8 also is considered to be space occupied by the display 337. Consequently, the recording medium feed 300 may be covered by the display 337.